Understanding what the CQC expects from regulated providers

These resources can help you be prepared for inspection and demonstrate that you are delivering Good and Outstanding care.

Skills for Care has produced a range of guidance and advice to help frontline managers and others to understand how best to prepare. This includes an introductory virtual learning module, a practical checklist, and opportunities to commission in further expertise.

Preparing for CQC inspection checklist


Being prepared for CQC inspection eLearning

This one-hour virtual learning module is aimed at new managers, new services and others wishing to understand the CQC inspection process.

Informed by how other services have prepared, the module looks at a step-by-step approach to involving the people you support, staff and others in sharing robust evidence. The content of this module has been updated to align with the new CQC Single Assessment Framework.


Being prepared for CQC inspection seminar

This one-day online seminar is for services preparing for their CQC inspection. Attendees will understand successful approaches to being ready for inspection, how to prepare your staff team, and what you will be expected to evidence and how. The content of this module has been updated to align with the new CQC Single Assessment Framework.


Compare with others

Using the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) is a great way to manage your records all in one place. Using the training and qualifications feature, you can evidence the amount of support and training you provide to your staff and show that mandatory training is up to date.

The data we collect in ASC-WDS can also help you complete your Provider Information Return (PIR). Section four of the PIR asks about your vacancies, your staff and their qualifications. If your ASC-WDS account is up to date, you’ll be able to find all this information in one place.

ASC-WDS also gives users the option to share some of their data with CQC. If you agree, CQC use the information as part of their suite of intelligence to help inform their smarter monitoring approach. It means the inspector will have access to some information about your service prior to their visit.


Inspection toolkit

There are now two versions of the Good and Outstanding inspection toolkit available.

This covers the current CQC Assessment Framework shaped around the Key lines of enquiry (KLOEs).  

The CQC will commence phasing this framework out between November 2023 and March 2024, beginning in the South of England.  

Until the CQC rolls out their new Single Assessment Framework in your part of the country, you can use this version of the Inspection toolkit to continue to use this framework until “late 2023” and so if you anticipate you will be inspected before then, this version can help you to prepare. 

This version covers the forthcoming CQC Single Assessment Framework which the CQC will be rolled out in stages across the country between November 2023 and March 2024. 

To ensure your service is prepared to evidence to the CQC how you will meet their new Quality Statements, we recommend reviewing this version to be ready for these inspection changes. 


Improve your CQC rating 

Our guidance, advice and practical tools help you to plan and implement the improvements needed to deliver Good or Outstanding care.

We have resources and support for regulated services that fall below the CQC inspection or fear they risk doing so.

If your service does not meet the CQC standards, it is important that you act quickly to improve the quality of care provided and minimise the reputational risk of being rated Requires Improvement or Inadequate. 

This checklist enables you to reflect on how you can improve and establish the building blocks for continuous improvement.

This template can be used to document your goals, ambitions and plans of how improvements are going to be measured and managed within clear timeframes, as well as recording process.


Guide to improvement

Our 'Guide to Improvement' is a comprehensive resource developed in consultation with a range of different regulated care providers with one thing in common; they have all fallen below the CQC standards and successfully improved.

Available as a free download or in printed extended workbook edition, the Guide to improvement is an essential tool for those responsible for helping services to recover from being rated “Requires Improvement” or “Inadequate”. 

Skills for Care is in the process of updating this product to align with the new CQC Single Assessment Framework. We will replace references to the CQC’s Key lines of enquiry with the new Quality Statements. An updated version is scheduled to be published April 2024.


Outstanding care

If you are looking to achieve Outstanding in your next CQC inspection, our resources can help you identify areas to excel and achieve your goals.

This checklist can be used to reflect on whether your service is ready to evidence you are delivering outstanding levels of care. It can help you to reflect on what additionally may be needed to achieve this rating from the CQC.

Document your goals, ambitions and plans of how improvements are going to be measured and managed within clear timeframes, as well as recording progress.


Workshops and seminars

Learn how to meet or exceed CQC expectations or recover from falling below CQC standards with our virtual seminars.

Whether you are preparing for your first inspection, striving to deliver outstanding care or needing to improve, we can help. 

All seminar content has been updated to reflect the CQC Single Assessment Framework. 

This interactive seminar will help you to be best prepared for your CQC inspection. You will learn about successful ways to prepare your service to meet or exceed CQC expectations.

This interactive seminar is for services who have fallen below CQC standards and are looking for practical ways to recover. You will learn about tried and tested ways to successfully implement improvements.

This interactive seminar is for services who want to deliver the highest standards of care. You will learn about what is needed to go beyond providing good care and demonstrate your care is worthy of an Outstanding rating.

Further support, information and resources on a wide range of areas are available on the Skills for Care website.